The invention relates to a diaphragm pump with a pumping component which is divided by a diaphragm into two stages: a paint stage with a paint inlet valve and an unguided paint outlet valve, and a propulsion stage with a piston or ram oscillating normally to the diaphragm plane and a propulsion chamber located between the diaphragm and a leading front of the piston; and a hydraulic component representing a propulsion liquid supply container, which is connected via an intake line with the propulsion chamber of the propulsion stage. The container comprises a charging hole with a measuring stick for supplying and measuring the propulsion liquid, and in which an eccentric or cam, mounted on a shaft, for driving the piston of the propulsion stage, rotates. A motor is provided as engine component for the drive of the shaft holding the eccentric. Diaphragm pumps of this type have been known and have been available on the market for a long time in various embodiments.
Constructively, these known diaphragm pumps are respectively designed for a certain operating position. Thus, diaphragm pumps which are to be operated with a mountable paint container have a paint inlet valve vertically sticking out towards a top of the pump in order to be able to place the paint container on the pump and to directly connect it thereto. Diaphragm pumps, however, which are to be fed from a paint container to be placed beside the pump, are mostly provided with an inlet valve projecting out in laterally horizontal fashion in order to be able to insert a suction hose directly from the inlet valve into the paint container. If the first mentioned diaphragm pump is to be fed from a paint reservoir standing next to it, or if a mountable paint reservoir is to be placed upon the secondly mentioned diaphragm pump, suction hoses or tubes are necessary, bent double by 180.degree., which makes drawing the paint difficult or at least its start difficult.